The present invention is an improvement on U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,023 by Steven Ravagni, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,023 is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and methods for teaching a student to play a fretted or non-fretted stringed instrument. More particularly, the present invention is directed to devices for teaching a student note or chord names, and proper finger placement to play individual notes, chords or scales, on a fretted or non-fretted stringed instrument, and to an improved method for teaching a student of a stringed instrument to read music.
It also pertains to the art of composing, translation, and scoring music as original composition or derived from recordings, sheet music, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,023 by Ravagni et al, is a passive guitar finger guide composed of autogenously adhesive (clinging plastic) thin sheet stock with the fingering positions printed on the one surface. The present invention replaces the fixed printed indicia of 023 with dynamic indicia under control of a computer or other memory containing logic-machine. The indicia are luminous lamp devices such as LED""s and electro-luminescent devices, or non-luminous devices such as liquid crystal displays and electro-optical shutters over reflective ink, dye, or paint spots.
Both fretted and non-fretted stringed instruments, including but not limited to guitars, ukuleles, banjos, balalaikas, dulcimers, sitars, violins, violas, and cellos, comprise the following parts: a sound box or board having a sound hole or xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d holes, a neck and fingerboard, a nut, a head and tuning pegs, strings, and a bridge. Instruments such as violins, violas and cellos also have a tailpiece which anchors the strings. On a stringed instrument, the strings extend from the tailpiece, or bridge if no tailpiece is present, to the tuning pegs, and are raised above the fingerboard by the bridge and nut. The fingerboard of a fretted instrument, such as a guitar or banjo, has raised, longitudinally transverse bars called xe2x80x9cfretsxe2x80x9d positioned at spaced intervals along the length of the fingerboard. The fingerboard of a non-fretted instrument, such as a violin, viola or cello, is flat and smooth, having no frets.
In play, the tone of a particular string of a fretted or non-fretted stringed instrument is changed by changing the length of the string. When a string is depressed against the fingerboard between two frets, the depressed string contacts the frets on either side of the point of depression to change the harmonic vibration of the string, and thus change the tone of the string. The length of the string is changed on non-fretted instruments by finger pressure along the length of the string, placing the string in contact with the fingerboard. On either a fretted or non-fretted stringed instrument, different notes are sounded by strumming, glancing, picking, or bowing the strings with one hand, or a bow or like instrument, while the fingers of the other hand depress the strings against the fingerboard. Strumming, glancing, picking, or bowing a single string will create a single note. Strumming or bowing several strings simultaneously or in rapid succession so that several notes are sounded in unison, creates a chord. Generally, to play a chord, several strings must be depressed at various positions along the neck. An xe2x80x9copen stringxe2x80x9d (a string which has not been depressed) may also form part of a chord. Chords may be played on both fretted and non-fretted stringed instruments.
When learning to play a stringed instrument, a student must learn at what point along the length of the fingerboard the string must be depressed to play a particular note, and a student must learn to read music so that he or she recognizes the written note. Particularly in the case of fretted instruments, a student must also learn which notes comprise a particular chord, learn the names of the chords, and, preferably, learn to read the written notes comprising the chords. Thus, a beginning student must learn a significant amount of information, including the parts of the instrument, note names, note locations on the fingerboard, and the construction of written music, and must expend a significant amount of time and effort before the student can obtain satisfaction from his or her efforts.
To encourage the beginning stringed instrument student and accelerate the process of learning to play notes, chords and scales, and learning how to read music, a variety of teaching devices have been employed. However, many of these devices have significant shortcomings, making them ineffective or unappealing to use. Ravagni""s 023 patent reviews several prior art teaching aids of the fixed indicia type.
Dynamic or lighted indicia are the subject of several other patents. Representative of this genera are U.S. Pat. No, 5,408,914 by Frederick Breitweiser et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,348 by Steven Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,735 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,005 by John R Shaffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,509 John F Graham, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,505 by Gair Linhart.
All except the Linhart patent show indicators and wiring built into the instrument. That is, the instrument is specially constructed or physically modified at the factory for installation of the indicating system before delivery to the musician. This raises the cost, makes the instrument xe2x80x9cspecial purposexe2x80x9d and suggests limited production runs., short product life and repair implications thereby raising the cost of ownership. Furthermore, cutting or modifying the standard design for an instrument may compromise the strength and/or sound quality expected from an instrument
The Linhart patent discloses that the indicator lights are removably attached by hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro). Even these require one part of the fastening system to be fixedly attached to the instrument, likely by adhesive which may or may not leave marring or residue when removed.
The present invention is installed by the musician without nails, pins, adhesives, or cutting, and when removed, the instrument is completely restored to its original condition. Thus the present invention can be used on valuable, heirloom, historic, or showpiece musical instruments. Further, the same instrument may be used for learning and after its mastery.
It is an object of the invention to provide a removable chord and note display without requiring attachment devices, adhesives, or modification to the instrument or mar the finish of the instrument.
It is a further object of the invention to dynamically indicate the locations of finger positioning for playing notes, chords, or melodies on a stringed instrument.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a static display of the fingering positions for playing notes and chords in any usable key on a stringed instrument.
It is a further object of the invention to analyze a performance of music, translate it to the subject stringed instrument, and dynamically indicate the finger locations.
It is a further object of the invention to dynamically produce a display and record a music staff with notes of a performance of music.
It is a further object of the invention to re-play the record of music.